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(No Model.)

J. W. YOUNG.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR BRIDGES AND ELEVATED RAILROAD'STRUGTURES No. 282,024.Patented July 24,1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

JOHN WV. YOUNG, OF FORT MORONI, ARIZONA TERRITORY.

SAFETY DEVICE FORBRIDGES AND} ELEVATED-RAILROAD STRUCTURES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 282,024, dated July 24,1883,

Application filed March 8,1883. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. YOUNG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Moroni, in the county ofYavapai and Territory ofArizona, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SafetyDevices for Bridges and Elevated-Railroad Structures; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear,. and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide simple and effective meansfor preventing dis-' asters in the event of the fall or destruction ofrailroad and other bridges or'elevated-railroad structures when trainsor vehicles are passing over the same, there being brought into theservice when such an accident occurs, devices for supporting the cars,or vehicles and holding them suspended until the passengers can berescued and the ears or vehicles removed to a place of safety.

The invention consists in stretching strong cables, chains, bars, orropes along the track structure and securing the ends of said cables,chains, bars, or ropes to abutment-s or anchors firmly fastened at theapproaches of the bridge or elevated structure. These cables, chains,ropes, or bars are fastened to the guard-rails between the track-rails,or to the wheel-guides upon a bridge or longitudinal timbers or girdersof an elevated railroad structure; or they can be placed in any otherposition where they will not interfere with the travel 011 the bridgeand still be in position to uphold cars oryehicles in the event of thetearing away or precipitation of the bridge to the street, river, orravine below. -When a bridge tears away from its piers or columns or isotherwise destroyed, the cables ortheir equivalents stretched above theroadway are not carried with the bridge, but remain in po sition toreceive and hold the cars or vehicles, the axles of the latter droppingupon the cables, which catch and hold the cars or vehicles 'or at anyintermediate points. their equivalents extend from their points ofground near or at the approaches to a railroad or other bridge 5 01,111the ease of an elevated railroad structure, these cables or theirequivalents canbe secured to the columns or pillars located at thecorners of intersecting streets, The cables or Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview 7 anchorage across the bridge or along the elevated-railroadstructure, and are held upon the guardrails or beams 0, running parallelwith the track-rails D, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. In a bridge forordinary vehicles the cables are attached to the customary wheelguidesor longitudinal timbers, or are stretched upon the roadway of thebridge, so as to be inside or in proximity to the path taken by thevehicles. The fastening devices employed may be simple staples a, orequivalent devices, as. generally it is not the intention to permanentlyfasten the cables to the guard-rails or bridge structure, the fasteningof the cables being merely resorted to to hold them in place and preventtheir interfering with the travel on the bridge. In iron bridges thesefastening devices a may be termed guides for the cables, because theyare of such size as not to hug or closely clasp the cables, thus notinterfering with the longitudinal play or free expansion and contractionof the bridge structure. In certain instances I contemplate securing thebridge structure to the safety-cables by means of fastening devices,which are of such construction and strength that the safety-cables willsupport or uphold the bridge structure when the latter tears away fromits piers or support.

2 f 252mm approaches to the bridge or between the dif- I ferent sectionsor stations of an elevated-railroad structure. Thus it will be manifestthat both sets of cables, or their equivalents, are securedindependently of the bridge structure, and generally have no connectionwith the same, except through the weak or separable fastening devices orguide-staples, unless the bridge or other structure is intended to beupheld by the cables, when said fastening devices are made strong enoughto insure the firm and permanent connection of the cables with thebridge structure. I11 the event of the bridge or any section thereofgiving way or being destroyed while a train or vehicle is passing overthe same, it follows that the lower or main cables, running between orin proximity to the track-rails and placed as near to the axles aspossible, or running along or over the road way of the bridge,willremain intact,or in position to receive the car or cars or vehicle, theaxles or body of the latter dropping upon said cables by reason of theprecipitation or removal of the bridge structure. The distance the carsfall is comparatively short when the cables are placed near to the axlesthereof.

The secondary cables E, located on or at a higher plane and outside thetrack-rails or along the roadway occupied by vehicles passing over thebridge, afford lateral support to the cars or vehicles and prevent themfrom tipping off from the lower or inner cables, as will readily beunderstood.

The above-described safety devices will lessen the liability ofdisasters and loss of life and property, and add comparatively little tothe expense of the bridge or structure upon which they are used.

It will be understood that in bridges having draw or movable sectionsthe safety-cables are made in sections connected together by means ofstrong and efiieientclasp devices,which can be easily fastened andunfastened.

I am aware that it has been proposed to stretch wire ropes at the sidesof a railroadbridge and a single rope along the rail supports or ties,the object of the side ropes being to prevent cars from turning over inthe bridge or striking the bridge structure, while the bottom ropeprevents the lower part of the car from leaving the track or strikingthe bridgeframe. Ropes'arranged in this manner are, however, notdesigned or adapted for supporting cars or vehicles in the event of theprecipitation of the bridge structure, because they have no independentanchorage, and are in fact intimately secured to the supports which holdthe ends of the bridge structure, so that in the event of the tearingaway or destruction of said structure the various ropes will be carriedwith it.

, Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of two or more safetycables or their equivalents witha railroad or other bridge or elevated-railroad structure, said cablesbeing anchored or secured at their ends independently of the bridgespanover which they pass, and arranged above the road way between and inproximity to the trackrails, or in the path occupied by ordinary vehicles, as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination of the cables A and E, having suitable end supportsor anchors, B, with an ordinary railroad or other bridge se cured at itsends independently of said cables, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JNO. \V. YOUNG.

Vitnesses:

AUG.-1VI. TANNER, STORY B. LADD.

